Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre's bastion in France is Bandol, where it reigns supreme in the red blends and yielding a savoury, gamey, herby wine. It also commonly features in Southern Rhône, Languedoc & Rousillon blends.

The grape needs a warm climate to ripen fully. Its stronghold in Spain are the appellations along the south-east Mediterranean(Murcia, Jumilla, Bullas), where it produces rosé, dry red and sweet fortified wines. Monastrell has played a significant part in Spain’s vinous heritage; it nurtures wines that are deep in colour and richly tannic, sometimes overbearing in their intensity and concentration

The Casa los Frailes estate has been in the hands of the Velázquez family (distant relatives of the painter) for over 250 years. Today, the 13th generation of the family own and run this 162-hectare organically certified estate with vineyards at 650 to 700 metres’ altitude, curating vines (averaging 40 years old) of their native grape, Monastrell (Mourvèdre).

Brimming with juicy, sweet dark fruit, this unusually refreshing style of Monastrell has immediate appeal. Ripe, dark cherries come to the fore but these are grounded by earthy blackberries and a granitic edge. The very fine, tissue-like tannins lead on to a warming finish of crunchy fruit with a thoroughly autumnal feel. Drink now to 2019

The 2012 Cellar Foot Mourvedre has a perfumed bouquet with scents of blackberry, white fennel, broom and Dorset plum that is tight at first, but gradually opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm juicy grip on the entry. There is a sweet core of black fruit here laced with cassis and bilberry while the finish exploits the structure of Mourvedre and maintains admirable focus. Everything here appears to be in its right place. This is another outstanding wine from Lammershoek.Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - Issue#209 Oct 2013